Networked printer server

On a network, a print server having a system bus, main memory and CPU, said server connecting printers and clients on said network, said server comprising:

• a communications interface coupled to said bus, said interface coupled to receive a plurality of print jobs and their preferences and to receive printer signals over said network, said interface configured to transfer said print jobs, said preferences and said signals to said server;
• a disk coupled to said bus configured to store databases related to said printers;
• and
• a printer server software executed by said CPU and coupled to said main memory, said printer server software automatically selecting a first printer by matching said preferences against said databases, said databases further including the status of actual printing conditions after a print job has been forwarded to a second printer,
• wherein when said server receives a printer signal from said first printer indicating that said print job cannot be completed, said server terminating said print job on said first printer, said server determining that a second printer complies with said preferences, said server automatically forwarding said print job to said second printer.

In a network connecting a plurality of clients, said clients generating print jobs, a printing system comprising:

• a server coupled to said network and to said clients, said server maintaining a database of printer capabilities and the status of printing conditions for print jobs forwarded to printers on said network;
• a virtual printer coupled to each client, said virtual printer receiving preferences of a print job generated by the client to which the virtual printer is coupled, said virtual printer coupled to said server;
• and
• a first printer coupled to said network and to said server, said virtual printer determining that said first printer complies with said preferences using information from said database, said virtual printer automatically forwarding said print job to said first printer,
• wherein when said virtual printer receives a signal from said first printer indicating that said print job cannot be completed, said virtual printer terminating said print job on said first printer, said virtual printer determining that a second printer complies with said preferences, said virtual printer automatically forwarding said print job to said second printer.